Taunton liquor store shooting suspects arraigned

TAUNTON - The two Taunton teens arrested in connection with the shooting of a Taunton liquor store owner Wednesday night were arraigned Thursday.

According to a press release from the Taunton Police Department, the alleged shooter is a 17-year-old juvenile from Taunton and the second suspect is Billy I. Morris, 18, of Taunton.

Both were arrested early Thursday and arraigned in Taunton the same day.

The 17-year-old, who was arraigned in juvenile court, is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon; assault to murder; robbery, armed and masked; possession of a loaded, sawed-off shotgun; discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling; conspiracy to commit armed robbery; and four counts of assault and battery on a police officer.

Morris, of 8R Pine St., who was arraigned in Taunton District Court, is charged with assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon; robbery, armed and masked; and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Morris was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for May 4.

During Morris' arraignment, Prosecutor Dan Walsh said the store owner, a 40-year-old Taunton woman who was shot in the abdomen, is expected to recover.

Around 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, police were dispatched to Eagan’s Package Store at 48 Cohannet St. for a report of an armed robbery.

An officer arrived within a minute, police said. When the officer entered the store the victim came from the back of the store heavily panting, blood on her face and clutching her side, according to the officer’s report.

The victim, who police said was one of the owners of the store, said to the officer, “I’m hit, I can’t breathe, I’m gonna die please hurry,” according to the report.

According to the report the woman’s thumb appeared to be hanging by flesh, there were major flesh tears in her abdominal area and minor abrasions on her face.

The woman was transported to Rhode Island Hospital.

Police said surveillance video from the store showed the two suspects entering the store, with the juvenile carrying a sawed off shotgun. According to the police report, he pointed it at the woman and demanded money.

According to the police report, the juvenile is a light-skinned black male, about 6- feet tall, wearing a hoodie and shoes with a red logo on the toe.

The report describes Morris as a white male, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, wearing a hoodie, a backpack and white sneakers with green shoelaces.

As the shotgun was pointed at the store owner, she grabbed the barrel, police said. The shotgun discharged, striking her in her abdomen, she fell backward and the two suspects fled, according to the report.

After an anonymous tip, police were able to identify the juvenile suspect and located him at his home in Taunton, police said.

Inside the juvenile's room police found two pairs of sneakers that matched the description of the ones the suspects had been wearing in the surveillance video, according to the report.

When police asked about the incident, the juvenile said “he was with his home girl” earlier in the evening and later went back to his house with his friend, Morris, around 8:30 p.m., according to the police report.

Later during the interview with police, the juvenile was shown still photos taken from the surveillance video, police said. He identified one of the people in the photos as Morris but denied that he was other person in the photos, police said. The juvenile was placed under arrest.

Police located Morris at his home and placed him under arrest as well.

According to the police report, the juvenile has an extensive record of prior arraignments on charges including assault and battery, assault and battery on a police officer and malicious destruction of property.

Morris has several juvenile arraignments as well, according to the police report.